Improvement in steam pumping-engines



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

JOSHUA TUFTS, OF ATHENS, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM PUMPING-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 77,336, dated April 28,1868.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSHUA TUFTs, of Athens, in the county of Athens,Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steam-Engines; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactspecification thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,making part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a vertical section in the line a x, Fig.-2. Fig. 2 is a topview of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section in the line y 9 Fig. 2.

A represents a steam-cylinder, which may be similar to those of ordinaryform, save in being of somewhat greater diameter, in the followingcharacteristics: The piston-rod B, instead of being solid, is tubular,and receives through its rear end a plug, 0, which, being attached tothe rear head D by means of a nut, E, passes axially through said headand the hollow piston F, so as to enter the hollow pistonrod B. The headof the plug has a rubber or other packing, G, to fit the bore of thehollow piston-rod, and is made to shoulder against a tubular stud, G,which, projecting inwardly from the rear head, incloses the plug G, and,with said plug, occupies the hollow piston and rod, remaining at resttherein. The interior of the piston-rod, in front of the plug,communicates, by suitable valveguarded passages,

H and I, with the suction-pump L and forcepump K, respectively, by whichthe boiler is fed. p

The effect of the above-described arrangement is to project into andthrough that portion of the piston-rod which is, for the time being,contained within the stuffing-box, a constantly-renewed stream of coldwater, the ineans of propulsion of the water being the pump or pumpswhich are employed to feed the boilers, so that no additional mechanismis employed. By this means I effectually preserve the stufiing-box fromthe injurious heat to which it is subject in the ordinary steamengine,and keep it as cool as any other part of the machine, while thestationary plug 0 is eifective to restrict the cooling action to thestuffing-box, without any injurious cooling of the body of the steam.

I claim herein as new, and of my invention- The provision, in asteam-cylinder, of the hollow piston and rod F and B, communicating withthe feed-water of the boiler, in the described combination with astationary plug, 0, substantially as set forth.

JOSHUA TUFTS.

Witnesses:

HENRY '1. BROWN, L. M. JEWETT.

